Thursday, August 11, 2011

The DFC XII Rulebook

And here is the official rules for the 12th season of The Deuce Football Championships

TIME
First, please make sure you are willing to last the season. Its not fun to have someone drop out in the middle of the year, even if its due to just them being busy. Obviously, some circumstances warrant an early exit, but those are typically few and far between. If you are leaving the country or will be out of contact, you can always email me and say "Hey, just give me all home games, with a ## for my tiebreak until I get back", or "My boo will be picking for me this weekend, here is their email". All you have to do it pick games, I do all the work.... that said...

THE GAMES EMAILS
On August 29th, you will receive in your inbox an email titled "DFC XII Week One Games". There will be 8 college games of interest listed, and your responsiblity will be to pick your winner. Hit reply, or in another email, send to me your predictions for the winners of those games. Each week will also feature a "tiebreak" game... you'll guess the total number of points to be scored in that game, and also send that back. Your predictions will be logged for the weekend. You are allowed to change your picks if needed up until kickoff of the first weekend game.

Sometimes, though it will be rare, there will be a Thursday night game. You are allowed to give your pick for that game, then send the rest of the picks in the following day. However, again, once the weekend games kick off-and if there is a Friday night game, that is the weekend start--all picks are locked and cannot be changed.

Once the games are over, the following Monday you'll recieve an email with 4 college games and 4 NFL games (the NFL Season starts the next weekend). Once picks are locked for the weekend, NFL games cannot be changed either.

On Tuesday, you'll get a DFC Week One Results email, with weekly results, then season updates as well, with division listings, a Top 12 Coaches Poll and some fun stats (when I have time!).

Also, on Thursdays, you'll get a quick DFC Games reminder, informing you of the picks I have recieved, who I am needing picks from, and also letting anyone know if I'm missing anything from you.

With 40+ people participating this season, remember there is alot to keep up with--if I miss a pick you made, or don't give you credit for a win, then please let me know... I save all emails and can easily research it and make the necessary changes.

If there is a tie in an NFL game, that game will be disregarded, and 9 games will be chosen the following week (4 college, 5 NFL). If there is an NFL tie following Week 12, an automatic "Win" will be given to everyone, regardless of their prediction in that game.

To those in The East Division, mine, I typically make my picks on Thursday afternoons, just before I send the reminder email out.

THE TIEBREAK AVERAGE (TBA)
The first tiebreak averages will be released in Week Four's results email.

Your TieBreak score (the guess you make for the tiebreak game) will be kept and averaged for the season. This is used to rank players who are tied, and is especially useful to determine playoff seedings. To make it fair, and to help with those random missteps, your worst TB will be dropped... and to make it fair and to help with those random lucky breaks, your best TB will also be dropped. At the end of the season, however, if there is a tie to determine ranks, playoffs spots, playoff berths and/or anything else, the best TB will be added back in just to break the tie. If there is still a tie, your worst will then be added back in. If there is STILL a tie, your average seasonal ranking will be taken. And, though I cannot possibly fathom this, if there is still a tie, we'll do something else.
Sometimes I do happen to forget the TieBreak game... if I do, please just email me or wait for a correction--there will always be a tiebreak game.

And if you forget to list the tiebreak score, I will send you an email to remind you. If the weekend goes on, and I don't get a TB guess from you, it will go down as a 0... which, may or may not even help you, who knows.

THE SEASON
It does go on for 12 weeks, starting the first weekend in September, ending the weekend of November 19th-20th. The playoffs will then take place from November 25th-27th (thanksgiving weekend), straight through to DeuceBowl XII, which will be the weekend of December 17th-18th. In years past, we have taken a two week break in between the 1st and 2nd rounds and the Final Four and DeuceBowl to allow for Bowl Games to be a part of the finals, but as I might be really, really busy the second part of December (and probably for the next 18 years.... sigh), this year's Final Four and DeuceBowl will likely only have NFL games.

THE PLAYOFFS
 Because of the expanded divisions and conferences this year, there will be 8 playoff berths (not 6, as in previous years) per conference. There was a little controversy last year as a Division Winner made the postseason over another in a different division, despite the fact that the Division winner had only the 7th best record in the conference... after much thinking (and by much, I did actually ponder for a few), it will stay the same. If someone wins Division A, but another in Division B has a better record (but didn't win the title), the Division A winner will still get the nod.

With 8 playoff spots per conference, I'm pretty sure this won't happen, but if it does, we'll deal with it in the offseason. And you can be bitter. Anyway, there will be 3 Division Winners and five wild card spots. The Top Two Division Winners, those with the best records (and TBA) will get a First Round Bye. The third first round bye will be given to the next best overall record, division winner or not. If a Division Champion has the same record as a Wild Card, they will be ranked higher, regardless of TieBreak Average.

The Wild Card Weekend will consist of the remaining five DFC'ers, in the playoff first round. After determining playoff seeds, the seasons TBA will be disregarded and will no longer count. The best TWO records out of the five will advance to the Divisional Round, the Conference Semi-Finals, joining those three who had first round byes. Then, the best two records out of those five will advance to the DFC Final Four. The best of the two that weekend will then go on to DeuceBowl XII.

Onto a great, great season, another Scott Latta flameout, a great season from Tad "The Dynasty" Roose (he had a bad season last year, so its his time), an embarassing year-after from Defending Champ Trey Cartledge and my first DFC Championship!

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